Free Murder on the Brighton Express by Edward Marston

sent me this letter earlier today,’ replied the other, jabbing a finger on the missive. ‘According to this, he’s had two death threats to date and is sure that he is being followed. When he discharged himself from hospital, he did so under police guard.’
    ‘May I know his name, Superintendent?’
    ‘It’s Giles Thornhill, a Member of Parliament for Brighton.’
    Colbeck was decisive. ‘I’ll call on him tomorrow morning, sir.’

CHAPTER SIX
    When he finished his shift that Saturday evening, Caleb Andrews had left Euston station with his fireman, drunk a reviving pint of beer in his favourite public house then walked briskly home to Camden. His daughter, as usual, was waiting to make his supper.
    ‘Have you had a good day, Father?’ asked Madeleine.
    ‘No,’ he answered, removing his cap and hanging it on a peg. ‘I keep thinking about Frank Pike. I miss him, Maddy. I like a man who takes his job as seriously as he did. Frank listened to me. He was ready to learn.’ He nestled into his armchair. ‘How was Rose today?’
    ‘I only spent an hour with her. Rose’s parents were there and so was Frank’s mother. The house was rather crowded.’
    ‘Is she bearing up?’
    ‘She’s trying to be brave,’ said Madeleine with a sigh, ‘but, every so often, the pain is too much for her and she breaks down. I’ve told her that she can call on me at any hour of the day or night.’
    ‘It’s Sunday tomorrow – my rest day. I’ll pay Rose another visit myself. She needs someone to tell her what a good man Frank was.’
    ‘She found that out for herself, Father.’
    ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I’m sure that she did.’ He looked up quizzically. ‘Is there any word from Inspector Colbeck?’
    ‘No,’ she replied, ‘but that’s not surprising. You know how busy Robert always is. He works all the hours God sends him. I imagine that he’s still looking into the accident.’
    ‘That’s why I asked, Maddy. There’s a nasty rumour flying around that it might not have been an accident. I mean, why should the Railway Detective take an interest in it unless a crime had been committed?’
    ‘Robert said nothing about a crime when he was here.’
    ‘He’d only paid a short visit to the site and had no time to find out what really happened. If it turns out that some black-hearted devil caused that crash,’ he went on with sudden rage, ‘then he should be hanged, drawn and quartered. And I’d volunteer to do it.’
    Madeleine was shocked. ‘That’s a terrible thing to say!’
    ‘It’s a terrible thing to do, Maddy. Can you think of anything worse than derailing a train like that? Supposing it had happened on the LNWR,’ he said, hauling himself to his feet. ‘Supposing that I was driving an express when it came off the line and was hit by another train. Rose Pike would have been here to comfort you then.’
    ‘Perish the thought!’
    ‘This monster must be caught and put to death.’
    ‘It’s not even certain that someone did cause the crash,’ she said, trying to calm him down. ‘I think you should wait until we know the truth.’
    ‘I already know it,’ he asserted. ‘I feel it in my bones.’
    ‘It’s only a rumour.’
    ‘Look at the facts. Trains come off the track for three mainreasons – the driver makes a bad mistake, there’s a landslip or a stray animal on the rails, or someone sets out to cause a disaster. You can forget the first reason,’ he said, dismissively, ‘because Frank Pike never made mistakes. As for the second, Inspector Colbeck made no mention of an obstruction on the line. In other words, this simply has to be the work of some villain.’
    ‘That’s a frightening thought.’
    ‘It’s one we’re going to have to get used to, Maddy.’
    ‘Well, I hope, for Rose’s sake, that you’re wrong,’ she said, concerned for the stricken widow. ‘If she found out that Frank and the others had been deliberately killed, Rose would be in despair.’
    Andrews was